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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

It all began when one day, after poisoning my poor teenage skin with the pore-clogging Elizabeth Arden compacts for literally years, I felt that a time for change had arrived! Initially I borrowed my mums bottle of No7 Protect and Perfect foundation and liked it, so I tottered off down to boots to buy my own bottle. The lovely lady on the counter told me that foundation was aimed towards older skin, so she introduced me to my Saviour that is No7 Intelligent Balance Mousse Foundation. The reasons why I adore this foundation are endless; it doubles up as concealer (both blemishes and under eye circles) without much cakey-ness and it's light yet with good coverage. Hell I even bought my MAC 187 to use with this foundation, as it was specially recommended for me. I even keep it in two shades, Almond and Tan, so I can mix them to find my shade to match exactly how much false tan I am wearing that day.

Now, imagine my horror when I popped into Boots the other day to buy some more, when the lady at the counter said the dreaded D-Word. Yes, discontinued. I think my mouth fell to the ground at that point, so she told me she had a couple of each left, she had no Almond, but four Tan pots left. So I did what any reasonable person would have done...

Thank God that No7 3 for 2 was on that day! :o)

From seeing how appalled I was at the loss of my favourite foundation ever (I assume), the lady gave me a rather generous sample of a new foundation she thought I might like, the Beautifully Matte foundation...

All very good and well but I liked the mousse consistency, and to be honest I need coverage that a liquid foundation cannot give.

BIG mistake No7!

Have any of you lost a product youlove to the dreaded D-word? Share your experiences below, I know that together we can all work through the pain. Sob.

Monday, February 21, 2011

As this Saturday was the first since Christmas I've had off work, it was clearly a cause for celebration. What better way to celebrate than shopping!

First port of call was New Look. Unusually for me, I didn't buy any clothes this time, just some lovely accessories.

TL: I haven't ventured into the scary world of DIY French Manicures for a very long time, however when I spotted this cute little inexpensive kit, I thought I would give it a go, again! I'm thinking French polish with Barry M Pink Iridescent over the top? :o)

TR: 100% plastic and totally tacky, but what can I say, I love! However I didn't realise that the rings had sizes (durrr Hannah!) and I picked up a M/L. It just falls off my finger instantly. I must return it for the smaller size.

BR: Last summer I wore flowers of silly sizes in my hair every day. I somehow remember it all beginning with some this size. Hmm, I should probably keep an eye on the situation! However, they are cute and I love the mint green. Available here.

BL: Lovely little pendant, nice change from the "Love" ones I keep being drawn to inadvertently. Available here.

From Superdrug I bought some body stuff, and some make up stuff too!

L: I've been experiencing really bad eczema on my legs lately, hopefully this E45 lotion instead of the moisturizer I am using currently will help clear it up.

R: If you have read my post on Products I Am Using Right Now, you will have noticed my love for the Original Source shower gels. This smells so zingy (best word I could think of to describe it!), it may be enough to wake me up in the mornings! :o)

L-R Collection 2000 'Extreme 24 hour Felt tip Liner"- I got this because I need to learn how to do the whole eyeliner-on-upper-lashline thing. This looks the simplest tool to practice with! Available here.

Barry M Kohl Pencil in Navy Blue (4)- This actually came free with two other Barry M purchases at Superdrug. Bargain! Available here.

Barry M Shimmering Eye and Lip Crayon in Golden Bronze (7). I'm a little confused by the name, not sure why you would want this colour on your lips! :o) Lovely on eyes though! Avaliable here.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

As I have never posted a night-time/formal look, I thought what better occasion than last nights Ball! In my University, each major department (Law, Science, Engineering etc.) have their own formal ball. Basically, an excuse to get dolled up to the nines and have a good time!

The Face

Rimmel Colour Rush Trio Eyeshadow in Twilight

L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara (Black)

Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Eye Liner (100% Black)

Eyelure Girls Aloud Eye Lashes- Cheryl

Of all, I am very impressed with the lashes. For a formal event I would usually pay upwards of €20 for individual false lashes at a salon. However I chose to pick up these from a drugstore for the bargainous price of £5/€7! I am very impressed by the glossiness of these lashes, they were light and comfortable for the night I love them!

If any of you follow me on Twitter (@hannahbanana661), you will have seen my excitement in finally finding this nail polish shade! It would of course be gorgeous over other colours, but for a more neutral look I just applied this over a clear base coat. This wasn't my greatest idea as you can see the yellow tinged discolouration through the polish (my nails are still recovering from the last set of acrylic falsies :o( ). To get this amount of glitter I have applied around 4 or 5 layers, quite impressed by the formulation, only minimal chipping in 4 days! I'm looking forward to experimenting with different base colours. Any recommendations?

2) People have the wrong perception about me. They usually class me as a "dumb blonde", that couldn't be further from the truth. I have worked hard to get to where I am and I wouldn't change it for the world!

3) I am a tad bit obsessed with the colour pink! I have a bright pink bedroom, pink steering wheel and random "display" of pink stuff hanging from my cars rear-view mirror (it all started with a simple pair of fluffy pink dice!).

Saturday, February 12, 2011

See, it all started last Monday, I hadn't meant to make a purchase... but when I saw that ASOS was offering free international delivery, well, I cracked. Suddenly, with no due regard to the fact I had places to be, I was scouring through the seventy-odd pages of sale dresses. Lets face it, it'd be rude not to.

One Shoulder Contrast Pencil Dress

Out of everything I purchased, this was the dress I was most excited about. The colour I chose was "berry". I like it, I really do, but I didn't realize that the black trim (ruffle and waistband) would be velvet. I am not sure how I feel about this, yet it's stupid me to blame for not reading the Info and Care properly. However, at €22.30 (£17) reduced from €49, it's quite a bargain! Avaliable here.

Next was a bit of an impulse purchase. See, I really wanted the teal version of this dress but unfortunately they hadn't got my size. So thanks to much deliberation, and the lovely Hayley's input, I decided on the Mocha colour instead.

Satin Bandeau Dress with Embellished Waist

It's a cute dress, and the same shape as the one above although without the shoulder, but I love sweetheart necklines so thats a plus for me!

Finally, I went for a mooch around the Beauty Shop to source bargains. Well, a bargain I found! If you read my blog at all, you will be familiar with my love of Barry M products- see here. Well, imagine my delight when I saw this fabulous duo for the mere price of €5.38/£4.10.

Lip Gloss Wand in Bubblegum (5)

And swatched...

As you may imagine, the colour is much more sheer when applied to lips. However it is substantial for a colour pop alone, but amazing over a lipstick. And no kidding, this is the most delicious smelling lipgloss I have ever owned. It took me and my friends much deliberation but we concluded that it smells exactly like the little round chewing gums you used to get at the bottom of a Screwball ice cream. Anyone remember those? :o)

Also in the duo is a black eyeliner...

Not super-exciting, I know, but this one is retractable! This excites me because I have a habit of using eyeliners until they get blunt, hurting my eyes on the wooden splinters and then throwing them away. I know, the sensible option would be to just sharpen them, but unfortunately I'm far too lazy for that! So far I am quite impressed by the creamy consistency of the product as well as its staying power. However I pressed down too hard while attempting to swatch this and I broke the nib. Ooops.

Also worth noting, my package included the new ASOS magazine. Just the sheer glossiness of the magazine made me smile! I have only had chance for a quick flick through so far, but some of the products look gorgeous. I can't wait to make more purchases soon!

Oh yes, I also bought the boyfriends Valentines day gift from ASOS, which was a t-shirt in luminous green trust me, he will love it! This is my first ever valentines day with a boyfriend, and I am rather excited! :o)

Have you got your eye on anything from ASOS at the moment? What do you think of my purchases? Please comment below and let me know!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Since I have no new products to report (hurry up with my delivery ASOS please!), I decided to turn this popular YouTube TAG video into a blog post! Also, I wasn't actuallytagged but I doubt the rules are that strict in the matter :o)

1. How old were you when you started wearing makeup?

When I was 13, and going to my first teenage disco my mum put a little mascara and lipgloss on me :o) I felt like a princess! Consistently I started wearing make up from about age 15.2. How did you get into makeup?I never felt pressure to wear make up but ever since I turned 11 and started High School in England I became acutely aware of how pale I was. After years of being teased about the colour of my skin I decided to experiment with fake tan.. and boy was it nasty. The make up came later though, mainly through my avid reading of teen magazines (Mizz, Sugar etc anyone? Gotta love the 90's!). I remember splashing out on a L'Oreal eye shadow palette when I was around 15 that had pink and purple colours which I switched up almost every day. How cool! Also, back in the day I used to have an obsession with lipgloss, very expensive lipgloss! I used to buy DiorKiss at €20 a pop for no good reason :o) I wouldn't even do that now!3. What are some of your favorite brands?Over time they have turned out to be Barry M and MAC for everything, No7 for foundation and L'Oreal for mascara! You can see a full list of my favourite products here.4. What does makeup mean to you?

For me, makeup equates confidence. I am constantly learning tips and tricks as a hobby and I love it. However my life does not depend on it, I can comfortably wear no make up around my boyfriend and family.

5. If you could only wear 4 products on your face what would they be?Foundation, Mascara, Lipgloss and Blush.

6. What is your favorite thing about makeup?I adore the confidence make up can bring, but only to enhance beauty. I learnt the hard way that slapping on make up only gives you bad skin! Make up should work with your skin, not against it.

7. What do you think about drugstore makeup vs high end makeup?

My core make up collection is drugstore. I only buy high end to treat myself once in a while. Everyone loves a bargain, thats why I get so excited by Superdrug 3 for 2 on cosmetics! Oh yeah, for anyone who wants a tip, don't waste your hard earned cash on MAC mascara, L'Oreal telescopic will do a much better job!

8. What is one tip of advice you can give to a beginner?Keep it natural. I know when you first walk into Boots or wherever and see all the makeup, the brightest of the bright will pop out to you instantly. RESIST THE TEMPTATION! For a beginner, experiment with neutral eyeshadows and for colour go for lipstick or lipgloss :) Also, watch some videos from the YT beauty gurus. Believe me I wish they existed when I was a make-up beginner.9. What is one makeup trend you never understood?I never understood black lipstick. Sorry, ew.

10. What do you think of the Beauty Community on Youtube/Blogger?

I am not part of the YT beauty community as I haven't started making videos (yet) but I support it. I am well aware of the forums where jealous (no other explanation for it) trolls slate beauty gurus. I have learnt some great lessons from the YT girls. I hope to join them all some day :o) Since I started this blog though I have been welcomed into a community I never knew existed. Not wanting to get all gushy but I have serious love for some bloggers out there, you know who you are!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

I never bought into it. My 16 year old self couldn't comprehend any respectable nail colours to be out of the spectrum of pink, with the occasional venture into the scary world of DIY French manicures.

Fast forward three years on and something changed. I, at the age of 19 went over to the dark side.

Barry M Nail Paint

Indigo

Yes, my love affair with Barry M's nail polish continues.

After two coats, I was left with an inky purple. The verdict is, I love it!

*Note, this picture is with flash, right now indoors it looks slightly darker. The purple is distinctive, though.

It is also worth mentioning that Boots in Ireland are now stocking Barry M products. Long gone are the days of buying in bulk in the UK! Without going into a big rant about the ridiculous and wholly unfair Euro "exchange rate" (hello MAC!), the Barry M products appear to be reasonably priced. The nail polish is £2.99 and I paid €4.50. I can live with that.

On another note, I made a rather extreme yet expensive purchase. And yes, I am sure I am 7 or 8 years behind fashion-wise!

Yep, Ugg boots! I have had the Primark version *shudders* as well as the slightly better River Island ones. But due to my rather substantial paycheck, I felt I deserved them!

Also, I passed all six of my Uni Christmas exams! So no nasty summer repeats, plus €200 fee. That kinda balanced out the price of the boots.... hmm! They are just The Classic Short version in Chestnut (avaliable here), and I purchased them from Schuh (yay for student discount!). I swear they are the softest boots I have ever worn and so far, they are worth every penny.